A typical fairlead is a device to guide a line, rope or cable around an object, out of the way or to stop it from moving too far laterally. Typically, a fairlead will be a ring or hook through which the line passes under tension. The line is moved laterally and the line contacts the fairlead, the fairlead thereby changing the direction of the line and preventing the line from rubbing against other objects that it would otherwise contact. This lowers the stress concentration of the line. Typical fairleads include roller-type fairleads, most commonly used with metal lines, and curved-edge fairleads, such as nautical leads, used with most other materials.